Graphs & Charts | IGCSE Information and Communication Technology Preparation - Year 11 PDF Download

Selecting Data for Graphs and Charts 

• Highlight cells that are adjacent in a row or column by simply clicking and dragging your mouse across those cells.
• To select cells that are not next to each other in a row or column, remember to hold down the 'Ctrl' key (or 'Cmd' on Mac) while clicking on the individual cells or ranges.
• Choose specified data ranges by clicking the first cell in the range, pressing 'Shift', and then clicking the last cell.

Selecting the Graph or Chart Type

• Select the suitable chart type for the data you want to visualize.
• Use bar graphs and pie charts for categorical data, and opt for line graphs and scatter plots for numerical data.

Labelling Graphs and Charts

• Always provide a chart title that clearly explains the subject of the graph or chart.
• Include a legend to identify the different data series in your chart.
• Use sector labels, sector values, and percentages to interpret pie charts effectively.
• Ensure your graph or chart includes a category axis title, value axis title, category axis labels, value axis labels, and data value labels for clarity and comprehension.

Adding a Second Data Series

• To introduce a second data series, select the new data and use the 'Add Data' option in the chart menu.
• This feature is valuable when comparing two related sets of data.

Adding a Second Axis

• Adding a second axis allows you to plot two different data sets with different scales
• Click on 'Add Axis' in the chart menu and select the data series to plot on the new axis

Format Numerical Values

• To format numerical values to a specific number of decimal places, select the cells, right-click, and choose 'Format Cells'.
• To show currency symbols, select 'Currency' in the 'Number' tab of the 'Format Cells' dialog box.

Adjusting Axis Scale

• Adjust the maximum and minimum values of an axis scale by right-clicking on the axis and selecting 'Format Axis'
• Set incremental values to change the scale of your graph

Extracting a Pie Chart Sector

• Extracting a pie chart sector emphasizes a particular part of the data
• Change the color scheme or fill patterns to make your graph visually appealing

Example

• The data provided can be used to create a Line Graph to show sales and expenses over three months.